Wednesday, January 25, 2017

New Claims Of Evidence In The Assassination Of Archbishop Oscar Romero

More details have emerged about the death of one of the most famous Church leaders of the 20th century.

Oscar Romero was Archbishop of San Salvador, in El Salvador. He was murdered while celebrating Mass in 1980.

The
assassination shocked the world and, along with his tenacious work on
behalf of the poor and marginalised, has led to Romero's beatification.

Now, extra information has come to light about the plot which led to the killing.

The Guardian reports that a new book is being published which throws light on the events which led up to the shooting. Assassination of a Saint,
by Matt Eisenbrandt, a human rights lawyer who has been involved in the
investigation for many years, is said to contain interviews with
witnesses and even conspirators.

It's thought the evidence compiled in the book may be enough to
warrant a new prosecution.

Eisenbrandt says, "There are clear
[evidential] threads on who gave the original order and who paid for the
murder that any concerted investigation in El Salvador would absolutely
be able to gather enough evidence to prosecute those involved."

The
book describes how the country's elites were disturbed by Archbishop
Romero's attacks on corruption and the treatment of those in poverty.

No one has ever been arrested for the murder, and Eisenbrandt says, "Romero's murder remains a dangerous topic."

As the 40th anniversary of the assassination approaches,
the archbishop remains a heroic figure to many in the Church in Latin
America, as well as secular activists.

It is expected that the focus on
his life, work and death will grow in the near future as the case for
his canonisation nears its conclusion.

That will mean his being declared
a saint by the Vatican.

Pope Francis, who is from Argentina, is known to be inspired by
Romero, and it was the current Pope who speeded up Romero's case for
beatification – a process which was completed last year.